Island Family
by classicalreader313
Summary: The Professor reflects on the other castaways.


Professor Roy Hinkley awoke early in the morning, blinking in the early morning sun that streamed through the supply hut window. He sat up in his cot and checked his watch, sitting on a table. It read 6:00 a.m. Waking up early was something that he had been attuned to on the mainland. The Howells often slept in, as their lives on the mainland didn't involve a nine to five job, and Mary Ann sometimes had to go to their hut to wake them up, with her smiles and soft voice. The Professor was glad for being an early riser since the shipwreck, as he was often required to wake up early, as the days were always filled with work to be done.

Besides, he enjoyed being up before the others. He was able to be alone without interruptions of others, and he had the chance to work on his book, or study the plants, or simply enjoy the calm down by the lagoon.

He got out of his warm cot and prepared for the day, finishing the routine by pulling up his tall socks and slipping into his brown shoes. He grabbed _A World of Facts, _his notebook and a pen before he left his hut to make the trek down to the lagoon. He greeted the girls, who said good morning to him as they made preparations for breakfast. The walk down to the lagoon was quick. The morning sun felt good on his head and shoulders, and warmed him and the sand as he sat down on a rock formation by the lagoon. He opened his journal and wrote notes about events on the island and about an interesting plant be had seen and taken samples of the day before.

With those thoughts being recorded, he turned his mind to the other castaways. He was lucky to be shipwrecked with such decent people. After spending his life hearing about stories like _Lord of the Flies _and the Donner Party, he was relieved to have found that the others weren't like that at all. He still remembered how nervous he was the first day of their enforced isolation as they sat in a circle on the beach, looking nervously at each other's faces.

Immediately they had to begin their preparations for shelters and they had to find fresh water and food. They quickly had to begin working together, and though not everyone was willing at first, they had become a team through the years they spent on the island, and the Professor now thought he knew them and loved them just as he did his own family.

He was roused from his thoughts as he heard footsteps coming down the path. He could recognize the ungainly walk and knew it was Gilligan. "Good morning, Gilligan," he greeted the first mate and turned to see him approaching the lagoon with his fishing pole and two buckets banging against the sides of his legs.

"Morning, Professor," he called, smiling as he baited his line and cast it out into the lagoon. "We don't have enough fish for breakfast, so the Skipper sent me down to catch some more. I'll need a lot, you know how he can eat." The first mate gestured to his stomach, pantomiming the Skipper's girth, and the Professor laughed.

That was something he could always count on- Gilligan making someone smile or laugh. The Professor couldn't even count how many times the others' spirits had been low and Gilligan had to cheer them all up, either with a joke or a story or even provoking the Skipper's temper. Even a smile from the first mate could brighten their moods. They had all completely fallen in love with the boy and his antics.

Undoubtedly, Gilligan was the glue that held the castaways together. With his good-natured, hardworking attitude, he was able to provide for the castaways as well as bring a smile to their faces. At first, the Professor had not thought much of Gilligan. All he noticed was how clumsy and accident-prone he was- as he was sure the others had as well. But after he had gotten to know the boy, he knew that he was more than that. He was kind and too hard on himself and he meant the best and he was intelligent too, though he didn't think much of himself.

He pondered these things as he watched Gilligan cast his bait in again and again, reeling in fish after fish. He shut his notebook and smiled. Gilligan indeed had a rare gift. He got up and walked over to the boy, placing a hand on his shoulder. The first mate broke out of his look of concentration and the Professor said, "I'll be heading back now."

"Okay, Professor, thanks for the company," he answered. "Could you take that bucket back for the girls?"

"Sure thing," the Professor replied and picked up the bucket of fish as Gilligan mumbled a thanks. He headed back down the path to where the castaways had set up their camp, and saw Mary Ann frying fish while Ginger opened coconuts and sliced fruit. He set the bucket by Mary Ann. "From Gilligan."

"Thanks, Professor," she answered and flipped some fish meat onto a plate and tossed more onto the frying pan, where it sizzled and emitted a delicious odor.

He walked over to Ginger and silently began to help her with the fruit. She glanced up at him and smiled appreciatively before they continued their work quietly. His thoughts were still on the castaways, and when he was in a reflective mood, he generally said little.

He thought first of Mary Ann. The farm girl was not exactly as she first appeared. She was sweet and hardworking, though she had a fiery streak, and he had been shocked the first time she at rolled her eyes at him. However, she was always helping out, and her cooking and sewing abilities had come in handy since their shipwreck. She was young, and it was impressive how well she could hold her own against the older castaways.

Her young age showed most when she was with Gilligan. She seemed relaxed and happy, whether she was baking him a coconut cream pie, or building sandcastles at the lagoon, or butterfly hunting together. It was clear she cared a lot about him, and she got frustrated at the first mate less often that the rest of them.

He turned his attention away from Mary Ann and to the redhead standing next to him. At first, the Professor couldn't believe that he was shipwrecked with a movie star, and at the same time, he feared that she would turn out to be a diva and refuse to pitch in. But Ginger wasn't like that at all. She had adapted to island life incredibly well and did a fair share of the work. She kept the others' spirits up with stories of her time and Hollywood and the movies she was in, as well as her performances. Whether it be singing, dancing, or acting, Ginger definitely was talented.

He remembered the night when she told him that she had regretted becoming an actress, and wished that she had instead become a nurse. No matter what though, Ginger would always be bringing joy to other people. Since then, the two had grown a lot closer, and the Professor could always rely on her to show interest in his experiments and act as his assistant. She was intelligent, and beautiful, and a loyal friend.

The two continued their preparations for breakfast, and the Professor took over chopping coconuts, as the movie star seemed to be struggling with it. He chopped open the coconuts while she cut up fruit and placing it in bowls. As they did this, the Skipper walked into the clearing and set some firewood down by Mary Ann and began stoking up the fire underneath the frying pan. The two talked to each other and the Professor couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but his thoughts were turned to the captain of the S.S. Minnow.

He knew that the captain felt responsible for the shipwreck, but he still put on a brave face. He was often smiling and laughing, and even when he was mad, it usually didn't last for long. The Professor didn't really know about how he and Gilligan met, but it was clear that the Skipper cared deeply for his first mate.

The Skipper was a natural leader, and he took his job as caretaker for the others very seriously. He and the Professor were always coming up with ways to make everyone's lives easier, and they worked well as a team. He was lucky to have someone like the Skipper on the island. He was trustworthy and strong, and they all owed their survival to the Skipper's excellent seamanship.

By now, Gilligan had returned and Mary Ann was nearly finishing frying the fish. At this point, the Howells came out of their hut, Mr. Howell carrying the three-year-old newspaper that he read every morning. Everyone exchanged good mornings and the Howells sat down at the table while Ginger walked over to them and set down bowls of fruit before engaging in a lively conversation with Mrs. Howell while her husband continued to read his paper.

The Howells were really an interesting bunch, the Professor thought as he finished chopping up enough coconuts. Next he began to scrape out the meat into bowls. Mr. Howell was really a nice man, despite his greed and his distaste for work. The Professor had originally feared being shipwrecked with two millionaires, afraid that they would act impossibly. At first, Mr. Howell had acted snobbish, but over time he had really begun to care for the others and he put his greed aside. He and his wife were always giving the castaways gifts, and Mr. Howell had a witty sense of humor, always keeping the others smiling. He and the Skipper butted heads often, but they both wanted what was best for the castaways.

Mrs. Howell was, as Gilligan had said, a lady. She was charming and polite and loved the others. She had taken the two youngest castaways in as if they were her own children, and she was a wonderful nurturing figure. She was supportive and encouraging and had also adjusted well to island life. She could always keep everyone's spirits up by planning a party, and the castaways delighted in her record collection, though both Gilligan and Mary Ann lamented the lack of rock and roll music. She was wise and enjoyed giving out advice to the others, though her matchmaker tendencies sometimes caused problems for the rest of them. She was not much for manual labor, but she still did her part to make sure things ran smoothly. Another thing that the Professor admired about her was that she would not allow herself to be pushed around, and she inspired this same spirit in the girls.

The Professor took the bowl of coconut meat over to the table, and took his seat beside Ginger. Mary Ann and Gilligan came to the table, carrying plates of fried fish, and all the castaways gathered around the table.

They put on the radio but talked over much of the news, talking about what they planned to do that day. Gilligan told another story about Skinny Mulligan that got the castaways laughing and the Skipper sputtering in confusion. Ginger recounted a movie she was in and Mr. and Mrs. Howell talked about some of their friends in the social register. The talk was lively and the laughter was rich.

After breakfast convened, the girls collected the plates and everyone went about their daily business. The Howells went on a stroll around the island, and Gilligan and the Skipper went into the jungle to collect more fruit. The girls began to wash the dishes, and once they finished that, they went around to the huts, collecting laundry for washing. The Professor observed island life from the window of the supply hut, contented.

Professor Roy Hinkley had never expected to get so attached to his small island family, but he was glad that he had.


End file.
